Mask mandates have been dropped by state and local jurisdictions around the DMV in the past couple of weeks.

Wearing masks inside the museums of D.C. will soon be optional. The Smithsonian has announced it will drop the mask mandate for all visitors beginning on Friday, March 11. The change comes after new mask guidance was issued by the CDC based on the level of spread within local communities.

The number of cases of coronavirus in the city has dropped by 90% since the beginning of the omicron wave. The Smithsonian will also begin expanding hours for museums and the National Zoo on March 14.

The Smithsonian closed all of the museums in D.C. in March of 2020 and has gradually reopened select institutions requiring masks and timed-entry ticketing. Visitors who still wish to wear a mask will still be encouraged to do so.

Hours of admission will also be increasing, starting with the National Zoo and the National Museum of Natural History. Beginning next Monday, both museums will be open seven days a week.

All of the Smithsonian museums are currently open except for the National Postal Museum, which is scheduled to reopen on March 11. The National Air and Space Museum is closing for renovations and should reopen sometime in the fall.

A brand-new exhibition by popular Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection, is scheduled to open on April 1. The exhibition will be open through November 27 and timed-entry passes will be issued each day beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Hirshhorn Museum.

Individual exhibits may still remain closed and timed-entry tickets may still be required at certain museums. To find hours of admission and ticketing information, please visit si.edu.